Algeria sealed their long-awaited return to the global stage since 2014 after cruising past Somalia 3–0. Vladimir Petković’s men became the latest African side to book their ticket to next year’s FIFA World Cup, joining Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt at the tournament to be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Speaking after the emphatic victory, head coach Vladimir Petković could not hide his joy as he congratulated his players.

“We managed to make this match look easy. Even in such a crucial clash, we were able to enjoy ourselves on the pitch. The criticism helped us progress and correct our mistakes.”

The former Switzerland manager, who took charge of Algeria in February, reflected on his journey with the Desert Foxes, describing the qualification as one of his proudest moments. “This is one of my finest qualifications. When I arrived, everything was difficult, but we managed to regain calm and composure to get back on track.“

Petković wants Algeria to finish strong

Despite the convincing victory, Petković urged his players to remain grounded. “I won’t be celebrating this qualification too much. We have to keep our feet on the ground: we’ve put in a lot of effort, but there’s still progress to be made.”

He also called on his squad to maintain their momentum and finish the campaign strongly against Uganda.“My message is clear: we have to fight against Uganda, and we’ll need to fight again in November, because spots for AFCON and the 2026 World Cup will be hard-fought. I expect them to show me their qualities and make my selection choices difficult.”

North African teams have continued to dominate the qualifiers, with Algeria becoming the fourth nation from the region to secure their place at the World Cup. An entertaining contest awaits when Algeria hosts Uganda, who are chasing a second-place finish and a potential play-off spot.

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